New gym class consists of nothing but SLEEPING for 45 minutes

A chain of gyms is launching a new fitness class – which consists of nothing but SLEEPING.

David Lloyd Clubs, which includes sites in and around Birmingham, has introduced Napercise which just involves climbing into bed and napping for 45 minutes.

The classes have been scientifically designed to reinvigorate the mind, improve moods and even burn the odd calorie.

The class arrives in the wake of research revealing the ‘tiredness epidemic’ across the UK, with 86 per cent of parents admitting to suffering from fatigue, with 26 per cent regularly getting less than five hours sleep a night.

Almost one in five tired parents admit to having a kip at work and five per cent have forgotten to pick up their child from school due to tiredness.

Now they can be sure of an uninterrupted ‘40 Winks Workout’, aimed at exhausted parents and those stressed out with modern life.

The first Napercise is taking place at David Lloyd Sidcup this weekend, and if successful it will roll out to other clubs around the country.

There are David Lloyd Clubs at Shady Lane, Great Barr, Cranmore Boulevard in Shirley, Monkspath Leisure Park in Solihull and one in Dudley.

Upon arrival in the studio guests will find the spin-bikes swapped for single beds, and upbeat workout tunes ditched in favour of atmospheric sounds, to create the perfect environment for the soporific sessions to take place.

The studio temperature will also be dropped to a level that promotes calorie burning during sleep.

Napercisers will be invited to curl up in one of the beds and indulge in some restorative mid-afternoon shuteye, before continuing on with their day.

The development of Napercise is inspired by past academic studies into the important health benefits that napping in the day can bring. This includes helping boost alertness, alleviate feelings of anxiety or stress, and improving your mood.

Napercise has been developed alongside Dreams sleep expert Kathryn Pinkham, who says: “Sleep is a lot more important than people realise.

“We tend to focus on the short-term effects such as being tired or lacking concentration, but it is also essential for our long-term physical and mental wellbeing too.

“In addition to a lack of sleep bringing with it a higher risk of developing anxiety or depression, when we are sleep deprived we lack the energy to exercise regularly, and also the mental clarity to make good decisions about the food we eat, which could negatively impact our physical health in the long-run.”

A spokesperson for David Lloyd Clubs said: “We’re always looking for new ways to tackle the issues that everyday families face, which is what Napercise sets out to do.

“Filling an exercise studio with beds might look unusual, but if it proves to be a success, we’re definitely excited at the possibility of rolling out the programme to more of our clubs down the line.”